(c) Séverin Malaud

CHATELAIN

RETURN THE CHATELAIN TO ALL ITS GRANDEUR

The Place du Châtelain in Ixelles has lost some of its lustre and vitality over the last ten years. Its status as a parking place dedicated mainly to cars, its run-down pavements and its suffering trees make it less attractive compared to other squares in the surrounding areas, causing the shops that surround it as well as the famous Wednesday market to lose business. As for the local residents, they are sad to see gradual decline in the square’s liveliness and would like to improve the possibilities of visiting and enjoying it.

The Commune of Ixelles considers the quality of its public spaces as being of great importance and therefore aims to revitalize the Place du Châtelain by completely redeveloping the public space from façade to façade, including the crossroads with the adjoining streets and the entire rue Simonis, a link with the Bailli district. Main objectives: to redefine places as true urban squares, reinforce their status as the heart of the district, reduce car parking, increase the share of public space dedicated to soft mobility as well as greenery and cool areas, promote commercial dynamics, work on the appropriation of space by the various public sectors, and take into account the gender issue in public space, etc..

This mission, for which the Commune is looking for a team comprising at least one landscape architect and one urban planner, will be in line with an ongoing consultation process for the drafting of a shared solution and the definition of a collective vision. The designers will have to follow up on the results of this study and continue the participatory process within the framework of this contract.